CCE Climate Smart Farming Intern: Research and Outreach to Help Rural Farmers (including in the Plain community) Respond to Climate Change in New York State

Opportunity Nav

Snapshot

Advisor:

Terms and Dates:

Cornell Affiliations:

Program Website:

Overview

Opportunity Description

NY farmers are experiencing first-hand the impacts of increasing climate variability and change – including more extreme precipitation, longer and more serious periods of drought, and changes in seasons – and are facing increased risks and financial impacts to their operations.

Farmers indicate they need more research-based information and tools that are specific to their region and production systems so that they can adopt adaptation practices. Researchers with the Cornell Institute for Climate Smart Solutions and Climate Smart Farming Extension Team have been working collaboratively to develop resources, online decision-support tools, and training for farmers and other stakeholders in New York, including the Climate Smart Farming website. One challenge is ensuring that all farmers have access to this critical information - including farmers from the important and growing Plain farming communities in central NY (including Amish and Mennonites).

The CSF Internship will contribute to a better understanding of the climate impacts and needs of Plain farming communities, and help develop outreach and information transfer for farmers in Madison and Seneca County. The intern will create a template for a monthly mailing that will disperse the information from the digital tools in a hardcopy format. The intern will also assist with farm visits to identify farmers’ needs, beta test the hardcopy templates, and help with teaching and troubleshooting the technology. The intern will also assist with the organization and publicity of two twilight talks.

Roles and Responsibilities

In collaboration with the faculty and county mentors and regional Climate Smart Farming (CSF) extension team specialists, the key responsibilities of the CICSS intern will include:

Help collect, track and analyze data related to climate impacts and needs of Plain farmers in central NY through farm visits, interviews, focus group meetings or trainings, as needed

Assist in developing new information methods or training materials to support new CSF decision support tools for farmers in rural communities (including hardcopy curriculum or phone messages)

Help plan and implement climate smart farming outreach at extension events such as the 4-H Career Explorations event, 4-H fairs, and two twilight meetings, and Empire Farm Days

Prepare CSF articles for the CICSS newsletter, and for Facebook, website or Twitter posts

Attend team meetings, regional or statewide meetings, and conference calls with CSF team members

Other tasks as assigned by the Faculty lead or CCE Supervisors

Benefits and Skills

The student will become familiar with the challenges that farmers face due to climate change and understand how to use the Climate Smart Farming Tools while building a broad set of practical, résumé-building skills in research, writing, event planning, communication, and outreach. Specifically, the student will develop a proficiency with social science research methods and learn to skillfully communicate about climate change and its impacts to a variety of local, farming, and community audiences.

See Also

Share This

Important Links

Contact Us

If you would like to get in touch with us about the site, please fill out our contact form.

Cornell University is committed to making our websites accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities. To report a problem or to request an accommodation to access online materials, information, resources, and/or services, please contact web-accessibility@cornell.edu. In your message, include the website address or URL and the specific problems you have encountered. You will receive a reply as soon as possible.